Pastor Matt

October 1, 2015

Hope for Sinners – Matthew 26-28

Jim is on hiatus this week… but he provided us with the following excerpt…

As we finish reading through the Book of Matthew Chapters 26-28, ponder the following, taken from the Gospel Transformation Bible:

“The story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion is also the story of the failure of his disciples to be faithful to him during this immensely difficult time.

When the religious and civic leaders came to arrest Jesus, not only Judas but all the disciples eventually abandoned him.

Despite Peter’s protests of willingness to die for Jesus—protests which all the disciples affirmed (26:33, 35)—he failed miserably along with them all.

They did not have enough compassion toward Jesus even to stay awake with him during the stressful night of his arrest (26:36–46), and when the crowd arrived to arrest him, Matthew tells us that all of Jesus’ disciples “left him and fled” (26:56).

Even Peter, who at least put up an ill-conceived effort to protect Jesus (26:51), and followed “at a distance” behind those who had arrested him (26:58), eventually denied that he even knew Jesus (26:72, 74).

Jesus knew that his disciples would be faithless (26:31–35), but he offered them the hope of forgiveness and restoration in his comment that, after his resurrection, he would go before them to Galilee (26:32).

The death to which their unfaithfulness had consigned him was a death for the forgiveness of this sin also (26:28).

Both Peter and Judas were sorry for their faithlessness to Jesus (26:75; 27:3–4), but whereas Judas’s sorrow led to despair, Peter and the other disciples sought refuge in Jesus’ offer of restored fellowship (28:7, 10) and his renewed call to service in the kingdom (28:16–20).

There is great hope for sinners in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, and that hope is not only for new disciples of Jesus but for his seasoned followers also.

The proper response to sin, however grave it may be, is not despair.

It is instead trust in Jesus’ willingness to forgive and restore the sinner to full fellowship with himself and to useful service in the kingdom.

What rich hope for those who want their lives to count for Christ, yet who are painfully aware of their inadequacy and failures.”

Until next time…  Keep reading!

See you next week!
September 28, 2015

Mary’s Song

Luke 1.39.56

John echoes Gabriel’s promise that Mary would be Jesus’ mom by leaping in the womb. Elizabeth praises Mary’s faith in God’s promise. Her blessing leads Mary into a hymn of praise that is also a declaration of faith. God will vindicate the God-fearers in the nation in remembrance of His covenant promises to Abraham. Mary knows that God has not only shown mercy to her, but that this mighty, merciful, and holy God will also show mercy to His faithful people. It’s clear that Mary trusts in the fulfillment of God’s promises. They will come to pass.

John, Elizabeth and Mary are co-conspirators in the divine plot to rescue the lost, experiencing the joy that salvation brings. There is a sense of excitement and great expectancy about what God is going to do. He is fulfilling His promise to David, but also His promise to Mary. He is a faithful God and One who is powerful enough to bring about what He has promised. He exalts the humble and brings low the proud.

Mary once again is a model of faith…believing what the angel has said, trusting in God to bring it about, submitting to His will, then moving out in faith. We too are to believe God’s promises (everlasting life, eternal kingdom, presence), trusting Him to bring them about, submitting to His will (timing, ways) and then moving out in faith.

But it starts with faith…faith that salvation is here. Jesus has come to rescue us. He is both perfect, sinless Man and almighty God. He alone can save. By believing that He came and lived a perfect life, died a bloody, sacrificial death, was raised again the third day, conquering both sin and death and trusting in Him alone to rescue us…all so that we could be reconciled to our Creator God…the Bible says we are saved. We are rescued.

May Jesus be enough for us this week, and may we experience the joy of salvation that Jesus brings.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

September 26, 2015

Weekend Passage – September 26

Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

The Magnificat

46 And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
53 “He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

September 24, 2015

Too Busy to Minister – Matthew 22

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)

Mark Batterson, in his book, Wild Goose Chase, tells the following story about an experiment conducted by two Princeton University psychologists.

In the experiment, the psychologists interviewed seminary students and asked them why they went into the ministry.

The vast majority of the students said they went into ministry to help people.

Half of the students were then asked to prepare a short sermon on the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

The other half of the students were asked to prepare a short sermon on a variety of subjects.

Finally, the students were told to go to another building on campus to present their sermons.

Unbeknownst to the students, the psychologists staged an actor in an alley along the way, to play a person that had been mugged, much in the same way as the Samaritan – would the students stop to help?

They added one more twist.

Some of the students were told to head to the other building in a hurry because they had to give their presentations in a few minutes. They were going to be late!

The rest of the students were told to start making their way to the other building but they had time before they needed to give their presentations.

Of those in a hurry, only 10% stopped to offer help to the victim, while 63% of those not in a hurry stopped.

In several cases those that had prepared the sermon on the Good Samaritan actually stepped over the victim as they hurried on their way!

Ministry to others can sometimes be messy and much of the time it is inconvenient – we are just to busy to help others.

We find ourselves too busy to reach out to someone in need, too busy to answer a call for help.

Oh we may tell ourselves we have good reasons, yet we constantly let our busyness hamper our ability to minister to others.

I am reminded of an old Filipino saying, “Westerners are people with gods on their wrists.”

Obviously we have to adhere to schedules but when the schedules dictate how we minister, when our schedules prevent us from being used by the Holy Spirit in opportune times, when our schedules make us immune to the needs of others, it may be time to slow down and prioritize.

Jesus was clear about the two great commandments – love God, love your neighbor.

I am constantly reminded that our greatest preoccupation beyond our own relationship with Christ, should be people – helping where we can to meet needs, and taking the time to share the Gospel.

Until next time… keep reading!

Jim

 

 

September 21, 2015

Divine Pronouncement

Luke 1.26-38

Mary’s obedience…her submission to the Lord’s will reminds me of a contrast that Soren Kierkegaard made when he was wrestling with Genesis 22 in his essay, Fear and Trembling, between the knight of faith and the knight of infinite resignation. The knight of infinite resignation obeys God purely out of a sense of duty and obligation. He does what’s required, but only because it’s required. The knight of faith also obeys and does what’s required, but he or she does so with joy and expectancy. We will see next week…Mary is definitely the knight of faith.

This is the greatest news ever…since the time of the fall, the people of God have been looking for the promised Head-crushing Seed of the woman. The Hero who would come to rescue them and lead them back to the garden and restore their relationship with Creator God. And now He’s here!

Mary is an unlikely candidate to be the mother of the Messiah from an earthly perspective…in this age of celebrity we might have expected someone more prestigious, someone more connected, a little more flash or a bigger deal, not a young, poor small town girl. I’m glad God’s not caught up in the things that we are. I’m glad that He always redefines our view of family and grace. He sees her humble heart, that she’s poor in spirit…she’s desperately craving His grace. She was reflective…pondering the angel’s words, believing and submissive. She’s a great example for us.

God is fulfilling His promise to David, and not just to David, but to all His people from the time of the fall…we can trust God to fulfill promises today. Promises of everlasting life and an eternal kingdom, of His presence with us. Only God can accomplish these things…He can do great things and use whomever He chooses to accomplish His purpose however He wishes. You are not insignificant in God’s design…in His plan to reach the valley. From an earthly perspective, Mary was a nobody from a nothing town in the middle of nowhere, but not so from the heavenly perspective. She had a significant role to play in God’s plan of redemption, so do you. He wants to use you to impact the folks around you for His kingdom.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost … He comes to a needy people…those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and need for a Rescuer, not the proud and self-sufficient. Do you recognize your desperate need for Him?

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

September 19, 2015

Weekend Passage – September 19

Luke 1:26-38

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

September 17, 2015

When Traditions Void the Word of God – Matthew 15

“But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.”  Matthew 15:5-6 ESV

In Matthew 15, we come to an interesting exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders.

Jesus and his followers are being chastised by the leaders because they are not following the tradition of ceremonial washing before eating.

This was a tradition passed down by the Rabbis and was not a Mosaic Law.

It involved an elaborate washing ritual – washing one’s hands, and the cups, pitchers and kettles to be used for the meal.

The leaders saw this as a sort of spiritual cleansing for the people.

In this passage, we see Jesus turning the situation around, accusing the leaders of breaking God’s actual commands for the sake of their own traditions.

Jesus cites the fifth commandment as an example – honoring one’s father and mother. (Exodus 20:12)

This was so important to the ancient Israelites that anyone who cursed their parents could be put to death. (Exodus 21:17)  Yikes!

Scripture teaches we are to honor our parents.

Jesus affirms it here and I am also reminded of Paul’s teachings in 1 Timothy 5.

“But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.” 1 Timothy 5:4 ESV

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:8 ESV

According to Jewish tradition, if a parent needed help, their child could declare anything of value as Corbin, meaning it was a gift saved for God.

The idea was the person could still use it until they died, then it was donated to the temple.

Jesus saw this as an example of how man-made traditions voided the very Word of God.

This is what traditions can do.

They play one law against another.

Corban is allegedly about loving God, but hard-hearted children used it to avoid caring for their parents.

Tradition looks at the letter of the law and often seeks to manipulate it or exploit loopholes.

It ignores the law’s spirit and the people whom the law protects and directs.

Traditions look at the hands; God’s law examines the heart.

May it never be said of God’s people today -“in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

Amen!

Until next time – keep reading!

Jim

 

Excerpts for this blog were taken directly from: Matthew by D.M. Doriani 

September 14, 2015

Unexpected Promise

Luke 1.5-25

Zechariah is unexpectedly surprised…opportunity to offer incense for the people, appearance of Gabriel, and the news that he’s going to be a daddy…and not just of any son, but a son with an amazing prophetic ministry, integral to God’s plan of redemption for His people.

Everything that God has promised in the OT is coming to pass. The plan is in motion, the stage is set. The showdown will be quickly underway. God cares about the salvation of His people…but as we said last week, He also cares about the salvation of the nations. He will rescue those who turn to Him in faith. He will reconcile heaven and earth. His plan has cosmic repercussions.

But this story reminds us that in the midst of the bigness of God’s plan for reaching all peoples, He is still concerned about the lives of individuals. He cared about Zechariah and Elizabeth’s pain. He knew the questions and sideways glances that others gave them. And while He could have answered their prayer for a son much earlier in life when it was more convenient and they had more energy, in His perfect timing He chose to bless them with an incredible son in their old age. God doesn’t conform Himself to our wishes or dreams for ourselves… God is not a genie in a bottle, and prayer is not a divine vending machine. He is actively involved in the lives of His people to bring about His purposes…His glory and our good.

God was actively involved in the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and He’s actively involved in our lives as well. On the macro level, He wants to see this valley impacted for His kingdom. On the micro level, that happens as each one of us seeks to impact one or two around us, bringing them one step closer to Jesus. I love the fact that Zechariah and Elizabeth still trusted God in the midst of their pain…that they walked blamelessly. They weren’t perfect…we see Zechariah’s, doubt, even though he should have known better. But nevertheless they were committed to following God.

So what about you? What prayer are you waiting to have answered? Are you trusting God in the midst of it? How has He surprised you in unexpected ways? Who can you impact, bringing them one step closer to Jesus?

If you are not a follower of God today, the first step is trusting in Jesus. He’s the long-awaited Hero we’ve been longing for…the only One who can rescue us. He wants to give you life today. Don’t wait.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

September 12, 2015

Weekend Passage – September 12

Luke 1:5-25

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.

24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

September 10, 2015

The Intentional Life – Matthew 9

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers
are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into his harvest.’” Matthew 9:37-38 ESV

You know the story…

An old man is walking along the beach one day and sees a young man up ahead
flinging something into the ocean.

As he draws closer, the old man sees that the young man is picking up starfish
and throwing them back into the ocean so that they will not die lying in
the sun.

The old man says to the young man that there are miles of coastline, beach
after beach and maybe millions of starfish – how can it possibly make a
difference?

The young man tosses in another starfish and says – to this starfish it
makes a difference!

This story has been used many times, in many sermons – yet it still rings
true.

We can make a difference – one person, one family, one block, one
neighborhood, one village, one city at a time.

The harvest is plentiful and it is on us to be intentional with the
harvest. All of us have been given a field to harvest.

It may be your family, your peers at work or school, friends or others you
meet as you go about your day or week.

Here at Central, we call it our Impact list – the people God has
intentionally placed in our lives.

The people we intentionally pray for, looking for an opportunity to share
the gospel or invite them to a Christ-centered activity, where they might
encounter Christ.

Oh, that we would have a heart like Jesus. A heart for others.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Verse 36

Sheep without a shepherd. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are
few.

Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest Jesus said, pray for more
laborers as they are few.

Earnestly – the situation is desperate.  There should always be a sense of
urgency when it comes to the harvest.

As I look back on my life, I rarely think – I wish I could have done less.

Instead I think – I wish I could have done more!  Lord, forgive my apathy
toward others!

I could have spent more intentional and quality time with my wife and kids
intentionally leading them one step closer in their walk with Jesus.

I should have reached out to that friend or loved one before they died or
moved away.

But it is never too late to start – to live a life intentionally focused
outward instead of inward.  A life focused on others.

Our greatest preoccupation should be teaching the gospel and sharing Jesus
with others and training others to do the same.

We should beseech the Lord to send out more workers to help us with the
harvest, never forgetting to tend to our own field, one starfish – one
person at a time.

So let’s pray for the workers, have compassion on others, teach the Gospel,
and help with the harvest whenever we can.

Let’s live an intentional life, focused on the things that matter – the
harvest, trusting the Lord to reach and change the hearts around us as we
go about His work.

Until next time – keep reading!

Jim